Some societies in history punished those who committed adultery by making them wear a big scarlet letter A, publicly identifying with their behaviour. And if you were caught stealing, they made you drag a ball and chain around. Maybe you’re thinking, ‘Well, they deserved it.’ Really? Jesus said if you simply lust after someone, you have committed adultery in your heart (see Matthew 5:28). Then He went on to say the standard of judgement you impose on others is the same standard you will be judged by (see Matthew 7:1-2). God is not soft on sin; notice two things: 1) He won’t just overlook your sin. ‘The Lord disciplines the one he loves’ (Hebrews 12:6 NIV). 2) He won’t turn His back on you. Nothing can separate us from the love of God (see Romans 8:38-39). We don’t use scarlet letters or balls and chains today, but we use computers. So, when someone hurts you, God says we must forgive them and delete it! Otherwise, it will influence the way we think, act, and talk. Plus, it will keep us tied to old, painful memories. ‘But forgiving them is hard,’ you say. That’s why Jesus said to pray for those who mistreat you (see Matthew 5:44). Forgiving someone begins with praying for them. You say, ‘But I need to understand why they did it.’ Wise people do foolish stuff, good people do bad stuff, and misguided people don’t know what they’re doing. Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him, ‘Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.’ Someday you may understand what motivated your offender. But even if you don’t, forgive them and delete it.

© 2024. Written by Bob and Debby Gass. Used by permission under licence from UCB International.